The present invention relates generally to sound systems usable in electronic entertainment systems such as televisions, radios, compact disk players, and video games, and more specifically to acoustic sound systems capable of producing highly directional sound.
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the variety of electronic entertainment systems available in the marketplace. In the not-too-distant past, choices of electronic entertainment were limited primarily to radio, television, the phonograph, and the tape recorder. Today, electronic entertainment choices have expanded beyond traditional radio, television, and tape/disk recording media to include video games, compact disk players, digital video disk players, Internet radio, and MP3 systems. As a result of this dramatic increase in consumer choice, electronic entertainment systems have become ubiquitous both inside and outside the home environment.
For example, whereas families of the mid-twentieth century may have gathered around the same radio or television in their homes to enjoy favorite radio or television programs, each member of the twenty-first century household may be simultaneously engaged in a different form of electronic entertainment. Not only may such individuals enjoy chosen forms of electronic entertainment in their homes, but they may also enjoy diverse forms of electronic entertainment while walking outdoors, driving in their cars, riding on trains and airplanes, and working at their jobs, due to the reduced size and portability of today's electronic entertainment systems.
One drawback of the electronic entertainment systems available today is that the sound they generate is generally non-directional, i.e., the sound radiates essentially in all directions. Because the sound generated by such electronic entertainment systems radiates essentially omnidirectionally, virtually all people in the proximity of the system are forced to listen to the sound, including those who have no need or desire to hear it. This can lead to undue distraction at home and in the car, increased noise pollution in neighborhoods and on public transportation, and decreased efficiency in the workplace.
It would therefore be desirable to have a sound system for electronic entertainment systems and any other suitable sound-generating systems and devices that avoids the drawbacks of the above-described conventional sound systems.